Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
Today's video is the second part of our guide to stripes in classic menswear in which we'll
discuss where you can commonly find different types of striped patterns in various garments
and how to wear and pair them effectively and stylishly.
Before we begin with the subject matter proper of today's video, a reminder that you can
check out the first video in this series here and that you can also view our related comprehensive
article on stripes in menswear here.
As we mentioned in the first part of this guide, men typically want to project a serious
businesslike demeanor when wearing tailored clothes.
So the patterns that are incorporated there are usually based on the simple geometry of
the line.
One of these patterns is checks and the other is stripes which we'll be discussing in depth
again today.
First, let's answer a basic question, how do you wear stripes effectively?
The answer is that stripes can be worn in a wide variety of different orientations and
styles and it really comes down to your personal preference on whether you'd like them to look
more reserved or whether you're going to be adventurous and opt for a bolder fashion-forward
look, you can accomplish both easily with stripes.
First, let's talk about stripes in shirts.
Striped shirts are typically a fairly safe and standard option and if you want something
that's reserved and pairs easily with a tie, a smaller stripe evenly spaced like a Bengal
stripe would be a good option to choose.
Moving towards the smart casual or business casual dress codes, you could try something
that's a little bit wider like a candy stripe but it would still be best to pair that with
a more muted subdued necktie.
Now on the other hand, if you want to go for a really bold look, you can be adventurous
and pair different kinds of stripes.
For example as I'm doing here today, with both a striped shirt and a striped necktie.
It's important to remember when you're pairing different kinds of stripes that the density
of the patterns, in other words how wide or narrow the stripes are, should vary greatly
between the garments.
If they're too close or the same size but are in different colors, they won't appear
harmonious to the eye.
In other words, make sure that you've differentiated enough between the shirt stripes and the tie
stripes so that they won't be mistaken for the same thing at any distance.
Next let's talk about stripes on jackets.
Sometimes, striped jackets can have a bold effect but this isn't always the case.
Generally, the wider the stripe is, the bolder the look will be overall.
For example, if a jacket features bold sandwich awning or blazer stripes, it will come across
as being much more adventurous than a jacket that features a simple pinstripe, hairline
stripe, etc.
When choosing different jackets to buy, remember to try on a few options with a few different
kinds of stripes if you can.
That way, you'll be able to see the different mood that each jacket is creating and where
those different circumstances would be appropriate.
In another way a fine white pinstripe on a navy jacket is pretty subdued but a large
cabana stripe on a multi tone jacket would be a bit more out there.
Whatever you happen to choose, one thing you'll probably notice is that the overall effect
of a striped jacket is to give the illusion of a longer torso.
This is because the vertical lines have the effect of drawing the eye upward across the
frame.
As a general practice, you should pair a pattern jacket with plain trousers to avoid large
clashing patterns.
The exception to this rule of course is if you're wearing a suit in which case the pattern
of the jacket and trousers shouldn't match exactly.
Regarding a choice of necktie you have two basic options, you can either go with a solid
necktie which as we've said already is the more conservative choice or you can try to
pair two kinds of stripes or even a stripe and another kind of pattern which would require
even more advanced skill in pattern matching.
Next let's touch on stripes in full suits.
Striped suits are not quite as bold as the checked suit brethren and thus there's a greater
latitude of opportunities where a striped suit is appropriate.
Think for example of the rich history of pinstriped suits in banking and other financial or white-collar
industries.
Overall, the acceptability of striped suits depends on the dress code of your office and
how much you want to stand out.
For a more complete guide to dress codes in a work environment check out our previous
video here.
As opposed to the standard pinstripe, a suit with a wider chalk stripe or rope stripe if
you'd like to use that term, is a bit more risky to wear.
Italian styles tend to be bolder in their use of wider stripes but they're still difficult
to carry off.
So make sure that you are following good examples of tasteful stripes in full suits.
Next we'll discuss stripes in overcoats.
It's often said that things you can't get away with in a conventional jacket like large
patterns or aggressive textures are more acceptable in a full overcoat and this is also the case
for stripe patterns.
Even so, exceptionally wide bold stripes on an overcoat should generally be avoided as
this large-scale pattern when combined with the long silhouette of a buttoned overcoat
can make you appear to on lookers as one giant mass of stripes, not a good look!
Instead your best bet here is to opt for a subtle stripe on an overcoat similar to one
that you might find on a well-made suit or sport jacket.
Next up are stripes on pants.
As we mentioned in the first part of this video series, striped pants worn with a plain
jacket either a cutaway coat or a stroller jacket are a staple of formal day wear.
Either full morning dress or the stroller suit respectively.
Outside of formal day wear however, striped pants are a little bit less common overall
than their standalone checked brethren would be.
As such those pairs of stand-alone striped pants that do exist would typically feature
stripes in bolder widths or brighter colors and would probably be best described colloquially
as a type of go to hell pants.
For a more in-depth look at this curiously named type of trouser check out our related
article here.
If you're looking for a good first option to incorporate stripes into your wardrobe
and places other than shirts or ties, a striped waistcoat would be a good way to go.
The so-called odd waistcoat has traditionally been a great way to introduce bolder pattern
or color into an outfit to add a slight element of fun under a typically more subdued suit
whereas types of bold trousers like we mentioned previously are almost in defiance of typical
style conventions, patterned waste coats are common enough that they could almost be considered
expected and you could even take a color from that patterned waistcoat and match it to one
of the other colors elsewhere in your outfit.
Finally let's touch on striped accessories.
As with any other type of pattern accessories are a great way to incorporate bolder colors
into your outfit because over all, they contain just a small visual element of pattern and
don't overwhelm the other probably more subdued elements of the outfit.
The most commonly represented types of stripes on traditional neckties are hair line stripes,
colored shadow stripes, and of course, regimental or battalion stripes.
All of these are typically featured at a diagonal although they can be featured in other orientations
as well that's a little bit less common.
In drab winter weather, a striped scarf can be a terrific way to add a pop of color to
a probably more subdued outfit especially when paired against a solid overcoat.
Meanwhile in the summer months, outfitting a straw hat with a stripe band is a great
way to immediately increase your sporty sprezzatura.
In conclusion and as we mentioned in the first part of this series, stripes are a widely
versatile pattern that are equally at home in casual sporty settings and more formal
settings depending on the type of stripe used.
Their varied use in all different kinds of garments as we've discussed today means that
it's relatively easy to dress them up or down depending on how you take different kinds
of striped accessories and pair them together, just make sure that the densities aren't too
similar between garments.
Overall, one thing's for sure, if you do your homework on how to wear them it's not hard
to earn your stripes.
So what kinds of striped garments do you wear now and what types do you plan to incorporate
into your wardrobe in the future?
Let us know in the comments section below!
One more reminder to check out the full article on stripes here to watch the first part in
the video series which discusses all of the different kinds of stripes in-depth here and
of course to subscribe to the gentleman's Gazette youtube channel so our videos come
right to your inbox.